BIrthday Blues
by RatedrKjErIcHo
Summary: Is Wade prepared to right a wrong and give Noelle what she really wants for her birthday or will this be the year she's plagued with the Birthday Blues. Birthday one shot for Hailey Egan Cena.


Sentimental was not a word that most people would associate with Wade Barrett. Those who knew him best would say he was hard, calculating and predictable. He was set in his ways. He had no time for disorder or chaos. But that's just what Noelle Griffin had brought into his life. She'd come waltzing in with her long blonde locks, her ocean colored eyes and that infectious smile. But those weren't the things he'd come to love about her, the things that had captured his heart. Love. He chuckled to himself as the word cross his mind so easily. As easily as he wished it could grace his lips. As easily as it had spilled past hers one night. That seemed like an eternity ago now.

_It was the beginning of November, the leaves just starting to light the skyline with their fiery colors. They walked hand in hand down the street, their relationship having no labels, no expectations. She was sipping hot chocolate he remembered. The rust colored scarf around her neck matching the slight hint of color in her sweater and the boots she wore that came up to just under her knees. Her sunglasses were perched on top of her head, pushing her curls back from her face. Her laughter floated on the brisk Autumn breeze at some little joke he'd made and he smiled in return as her hand came up to lightly slap against his chest. It had been the perfect day. _

_They'd settled in at her place after dinner, some nameless movie playing in the background as they sat there holding each other. And she'd turned to him, pressing those shimmering pink lips to his before she pulled away and looked at him. He almost didn't hear her at first, still wrapped up in the thrilling sensation he always got when their lips met. It was like it transported him to some other time and place, like the world around them was on fire and nothing else mattered but the moment they were in when their lips met. But somehow, through the haze of pure euphoria, her words had broken through and set off alarm bells in his head. He couldn't do this. He couldn't let himself fall in love. Not after the last time. He'd pulled away from her like he'd seen a ghost, like the feel of her pressed against him was now bringing him pain instead of the usual pleasure he felt. He'd gotten up off the couch abruptly, half tossing her in the floor as he did and paced in front of her, his mouth dry and his hands sweaty._

"_Wade…..did you….did I do something wrong?" She asked as she braced herself on the edge of the couch and looked at him. He hadn't said anything to her. He'd simply grabbed his coat and walked out the front door leaving her on the couch softly calling his name. He hadn't spoken to her since. It had only taken him until the next afternoon to realize what an ass he had been. He'd picked up the phone to call her but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He couldn't bring himself to tell her that he'd been wrong all along and that he loved her too. He'd tried rehearsing it but every time he got to the word love, it hung in his throat. She was better off without him, he told himself. _

He'd spent the last month trying not to think about her, avoiding her at the arenas and in the hotel as much as possible. He became thankful for the solitude that home provided. It was the one place he could hole himself up and not have to make a conscious effort to act like he didn't care. It was the one place she couldn't invade. But that had all changed with the afternoon mail. He'd stared at the box after he'd closed the door and sighed. He'd forgotten all about it, the gift he'd ordered for her birthday back in August. And everything had come flooding back to him. He looked up as the door opened and then turned back to the window as the small brown haired woman made her way around his house as if she owned it. She stopped behind him, her arms crossed over her chest, her foot tapping against the wooden floor as she stood there waiting for him to acknowledge her.

"What are you doing here Parker?"

"You know why I'm here. Today is her birthday and I came to try and convince you one last time to come to her party tonight." He turned to look at her and shook his head.

"You have fun love and give her my best."

"You quit being a coward and come give it to her yourself." Parker shot back. "I mean it's easy to see how much you love her."

"Love is a luxury I can't afford."

"Love is a necessity that you can't afford to live without. Now get off your ass and get dressed. You're coming with me to this party tonight and you're going to man up and tell her how you feel."

"What in the bloody hell makes you think that?"

"Because if you don't, I'm going to make Chris get out of the car and come in here and kick your ass from here to Kingdom come. You've got fifteen minutes to shower, change and shave. We're waiting." She said as she walked outside to the waiting car.

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Noelle smiled at her best friend Roman as she put the drink glasses on the table. An intimate dinner party. That's what Roman and Parker had made her agree to. It wasn't the usual big birthday blow out they had every year and for once she was glad. She didn't think that she could actually stand to have a big birthday party this year. Not when she knew she wouldn't get her wish when she blew out the candle on the cake. She sighed to herself and looked up at Roman shaking her head and smiling.

"You okay?" He asked her and she slapped on her fake smile and nodded. The last thing she wanted was for Roman to spend the rest of the night hounding her. "You know you're a horrible liar but I'll let it slide because it's your birthday." She laughed slightly and nodded.

"Thanks but that doesn't count as an actual gift. You better have more for me than that." He smiled at her and nodded.

"Your gift is on the way. Parker and Chris are bringing it." He said. She looked at him with her eyes narrowed. "What?"

"If Chris is with Parker…I told you to leave it alone Rome…."

"And I did. It's Parker who couldn't leave it alone." He said as the car pulled into the driveway.

"Great. Big brother, little sister and best friend go meddling and force the man I made a fool out of myself for to come celebrate my birthday with me? Fantastic."

"Maybe he didn't show up." Noelle looked at him. "Yeah, you're right. I did send Parker over there and she gets what she wants." She heard footsteps come up the front walk and the door open. She only had seconds to brace herself before her brother and sister came into view.

"Now when we get in here, you tell her how you feel about her." Parker said as they came into the living room. Wade looked over at Chris.

"Both of your sisters are pushy." Chris laughed.

"Tried to warn you from the beginning. You're the one who fell in love with her." Wade closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Just relax. If you love her, and it's obvious that you do. Just tell her. Just tell her and then don't ever hurt her again." Wade nodded and they walked into the dining room. Roman and Noelle stopped what they were doing and looked at them. "Roman, why don't Parker and I help you with dinner?" Roman nodded slightly.

"Yeah. I'd like that." Roman said as he opened the kitchen door and the three of them walked in. Noelle stood there looking at Wade. She'd forgotten how handsome he was. She let her eyes roam over him for a moment before she turned her attention back to the table. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much he still affected her. How much she had meant the words she'd said to him a month before. He stood there watching her as she played with the same napkin for the fifth time, folding it and refolding it again and again.

"It's pretty near perfect." He said finally breaking the silence between them. Her head shot up at the sound of his voice. Her hands stopped fidgeting with the napkin and she stood there with her hands folded across her chest. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you." She mumbled before she tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "You come all this way to tell me that?" She was surprised by the venom in her voice. He sighed deeply. He deserved it. That and so much more.

"I…I don't know why I'm here." He said honestly as he ran his hand down his face.

"Well feel free to leave at any time." She said as she started to walk past him out of the room. "Wouldn't want you to say or do anything you'd regret." As soon as the words left her mouth, his hand was on her arm stopping her. She looked at him, her eyes betraying everything she'd been trying to hide from him.

"I deserve that." He said softly. "I do. I hurt you deeply and I…." He sighed. "I'm sorry. I was….an insensitive asshole. And I don't deserve you. Not at all…..but I…I love you…." He said as he drew in a breath. He smiled and closed his eyes…. "I love you. I love you. I love you…." He said as he pulled her to him. "I love you." He said again before he leaned in and kissed her. She melted into him as their lips touched. All the anger and hurt she'd been feeling over the last month was gone. He'd finally said it. She pulled away after a few minutes with a smile on her face.

"I love you too." She said softly. He smiled and kissed her again. He suddenly remembered the gift he had in his pocket. He pulled it out and held it out to her. "What's this?"

"Happy birthday." He said softly. She smiled and opened the box. She took the locket out of the box and turned it over. "All my love, Always. Wade." She read aloud.

"I uh….I got Chris and Parker to stop off at the jeweler's before we came." He said. She smiled and kissed him again.

"Will you help me put it on?" He smiled and nodded. She turned around and held up her hair. He clasped the necklace around her neck and she turned in his arms. "How does it look?" He smiled and kissed her again.

"Perfect love. Just like you. Happy Birthday." She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"It is now." She said. "It is now." She leaned in to kiss him again just as the kitchen door burst open and Roman, Parker and Chris tumbled out and onto the floor. She looked over at Wade and they laughed and kissed again. It turned out the best birthday ever.


End file.
